A common approach to broadband on TV to be promoted in the UK

Recent announcement from the main terrestrial TV channels and BT indicate that a partnership to set a standard for the delivery of streaming TV over a broadband connection is being worked out and may mean a huge change in the way customers access movies and on-demand services.

A partnership that will see BT working alongside the BBC and ITV to promote a common approach within the industry and the offer to deliver a broadband based on-demand TV service has been announced recently. Device developers, Internet Service Providers and public service broadcasters will all be able to take part in this new initiative.

The development of a standards-based open environment for broadband connected to digital television receivers will be facilitated by these proposals, which form part of wider partnership proposals from the BBC Executives. A large number of content providers would be supported by these proposals and ISPs would by promoting them with the aim, by launch time, of building up a wider group of partners.

Based on feedback from audiences Mark Thompson, the Director-General of the BBC said that they wanted their television devices to provide them with more services and that the BBC was building on a history of supporting the industry and collaborating in the research and development that currently includes, Freeview, NICAM stereo and Teletext.

Both public consultation and BBC Trust approval with be required before these plans can go ahead but will eventually mean that as well as having the potential from shows, interactive content and movies in both high definition and standard format from a whole host of alternate provider there will be a new generation of devices that are subscription free that will carry free-to-air channels and a vast choice of on-demand TV services like ITV Player and iPlayer.

ITV’s executive chairman, Michael Grade said “This proposal will bring catch-up from the PC to the TV set in viewers’ living rooms, all for free. This makes convergence a reality. It will also future-proof our free-to-air platforms, Freeview and Freesat.”

Once the BBC trust have agreed the plans it is anticipated that the release of the broadband service over television will come soon after.